UN Global Compact Communication on Progress 2013-2014
CONTENTS About this document 2 Contact 3 CEO Statement of Continued Support 4 English Press at a Glance 6 English Press Reporting to United Nations Global Compact HUMAN RIGHTS 9 LABOUR RIGHTS 17 ENVIROMENT 25 ANTI-CORRUPTION 34 OVERALL OUTLOOK 38 FEEDBACK 40
2 EPL COP 2014 Period covered by our communication on progress: June 2013 to June 2014 In April 2012 English Press Limited committed itself to the United Nations Global Compact. This commitment includes supporting the ten principles of the UN Global Compact as well as reporting and communicating annually to its stakeholders on progress made to implement the principles. English Press Limited (EPL) will continue supporting the United Nations Global Compact s 10 principles. English Press Limited COP 2014 is available in our website at www.englishpress.com.
EPL COP 2014 3 CONTACT Company Name : English Press Limited Sector : Manufacturing Printing For quality print work and all forms of colour works Number of employees : 500 UNGC signatory since : 2012/4/4 Contact Person : Mrs. Shreeti Patel/ Veronica Mwanzia Address : P.O. Box 30127 00100 Nairobi, Kenya E-Mail : shreeti@englishpress.com/ qmr@englishpress.com Website : www.englishpress.com Phone : +254 20552266/7 +254 206536914/5 Cell : +254 722509838 +254 735339002 Fax : +2542065537141
CEO STATEMENT OF CONTINUED SUPPORT As a company, we have always looked to the future and we endeavor to contribute towards sustainable development of the economy, the environment and society. This will not only enables us to realize our corporate social responsibilities but also strengthens our long-term strategic focus and helps secure the future of the company.
EPL COP 2014 5 It is a great pleasure for support to the ten principles of the UN Global Compact. EPL continues to commit and embed the principles to our business strategy and operations while developing and growing. The protection of human rights, fair treatment of employees and commitment to tackling corruption, and the protection of the environment, are all important parts of the way we do business. This second Global Compact Progress Report provides a transparent and detailed account of how we implement the ten principles of the UN Global Compact and what areas we have made progress in since the last report. It the effort of the EPL family to move our business a step further. This communication progress report covers the period of June 2013 to June 2014. Mr. Kalpan Patel English Press Limited
ENGLISH PRESS AT A GLANCE
EPL COP 2014 7 English Press Limited is your one stop print company, providing customers with high quality products and services including pre-press, and logistics solutions. Founded 80 years ago, we have grown to be one of the print house in the continent. Located in Nairobi, and built on a strong foundation of consistent quality and service, our values have enabled us to compete in the regional and international print market. Our vision is to become a world class print company in Africa and play a major role in print technology and excellence. English Press Limited consists of a team of about 500 personnel who are committed to delivering the highest standards of service. Our work ethic is founded on collaborative partnerships with publishers, clients and and effective print solutions. that by applying our skills, expertise and resources to different causes, we can not only make a difference in the world around us, but also catalyze other businesses to follow our lead. It is a goal that we strive for through our business strategy, our values and our every-day activities
EPL COP 2014 39 Human Rights Principle 1: Businesses should support and respect the protecticn of internationally proclaimed human rights; and Principle 2: Make sure that they are not complicit in human rights abuses.
10 EPL COP 2014 Assessment, Policy and Goals EPL actively s u p p o r t s the universal declaration of human rights and recognize our responsibility to uphold human rights issues within our business and within our Respect for human rights is an integral part of our corporate culture. We are committed to conducting our business in an ethical and responsible manner that supports and respects the protection of human rights. We treat our employees with dignity, fairness and respect and we are guided by our shared core values. EPL favors an open and trustful environment between the top management and employees. It is our belief that personal growth and hence growth of our company prospers from an open and trustful environment. EPL does not tolerate harassment or intimidation of our employees on any basis prohibited by law, including race, colour, sex, age, religion, national origin, handicap, disability or marital status. Our code of conduct and health, safety and environment standards that we follow
EPL COP 2014 11 in our business operation ensure the protection of all human rights. The health and safety slogan states; to motivate and educate our employees to be accountable for their actions in all matters regarding occupational health and safety. Workplace health and safety are an important priority for EPL and are fully integrated into the company s business processes. The EHS department is responsible for all health and safety measures. EPL organizes a wide range of activities aimed at raising awareness of health and safety issues among our employees. We have carried out occupational health checks and analysis of workplace conditions. Standardized processes and regular internal audits by our health and safety committee ensure that the standards are maintained. The aim is to maintain and enhance the health and safety of its employees, prevent occupational injuries, eliminate chance of injury occurrence and ensure overall welfare of staff.
12 EPL COP 2014 Implementation We have a range of policies stance on human rights; we encourage our employees to contact our human resource concerns regarding their rights. The birth of the English Quarterly newsletter by the employees to communicate and educate one another on various issues concerning health, money matters and family ties. A statement of policy expressing our commitment to human rights was drafted to be approved by our CEO. We have a health and safety policy statement that all employees have to comply to. Safe work instructions have been implemented and training conducted during induction on safety measures while working. Conducting of risk assessment audit in our factory to mitigate any hazards. Health and safety audit was conducted in 2013 Regular safety training : o Fire safety training for all the employees o First Aiders training o Fire Marshalls training o Health and safety committee training
EPL COP 2014 13 Measurement of Outcomes In the past year EPL has not been subject to any investigations, legal cases or incidents involving human rights. All human resource policies and procedures are periodically reviewed to ensure that they are up to date and are in line with the Global Compact Principles. The number of lost time accidents has remained at a low rate. The periodic medical examinations conducted on 2013 found all examined employee without any occupational diseases and illness. We have 500 employees; for every 20 employees, there is a health and safety representatives. Their role is to promote a health and safety culture and work towards better working environment, health and safety at the workplace. Findings of the H&S was that we have put in place a number of the factory and has complied with the relevant HSE legislation resources to charitable and humanitarian activities.
14 EPL COP 2014 We do not do business with any organization whereby human rights are in any way compromised. Actions to be implemented in the year 2014-2015 rights
EPL COP 2014 17 Labour Principle 3: Businesses should uphold the freedom of association and the effective recognition of the right to colective bargaining. Principle 4: The elimination of all forms of forced labour and compulsary labour. Principle 5: The effective abolition of child labour. Principle 6: The elimination of discrimination in respect of employment and occupation.
18 EPL COP 2014 Assessment, Policy and Goals EPL supports both the international and local labour standards; we operate in a manner that is consistent with the core standards of the international labour organization. We uphold the principle of freedom of association whereby our employees have the right to choose whether they want to belong to a union. EPL recognizes the role of the unions and their representatives and discusses with the openly all issues of interest. EPL doesn t engage in forced labour or child labour and the company works to ensure diversity and non discrimination in respect to employment and occupation. EPL has a workforce of about 500 people, our people are the heart of our growth strategy and we believe that having a good work relationship between the management and employees is important to the company. We strive to maintain a working environment that is supportive of our employees an environment based on our core values. We have
EPL COP 2014 19 put in place policies and procedures which promote a culture of respect for our people. This means: retain the best people and reward them fairly for their contribution. workplace where employees difference, such as gender, age, sex, culture and lifestyle choices are valued and physical and emotional wellbeing of our people is promoted. enabling our employees to grow in their roles. environment where employee s wellbeing is promoted and ensuring that we have clear mechanisms to respond to any grievances. opportunities to build new careers and
20 EPL COP 2014 Implementation We have a team of human resource professionals who ensure that the principles of our labour legislations are always upheld. We have developed HR policies in the company to promote best practice in employment. Our grievance policy and procedure allows the employees to raise any dissatisfaction with individual and processes. We have implemented training and development to encourage staff to develop and build their existing skill base. All employees are encouraged to develop their skills by attending appropriate training courses. compatibility of family life and career and strives for a balanced relationship between work and private life. All employees have written employment contracts and job descriptions. This is regulated by HR processes and documented. All new employees are given full induction upon joining the company which includes all policies and procedures relating to health and safety, grievance procedures and appraisal procedures
EPL COP 2014 21 Measurement of Outcomes In the year 2013, EPL has not been subject to any statutory notice related to labour or health and safety. EPL supports employee organizations and respects collective agreements and completed the successful negotiation of the CBA contract 2014. The shop stewards are allowed to hold meeting with the employees during work hours and attend union seminars without pay deductions. Communication in EPL is characterized by respect and trust and emphasis on our company core values. There is a strong record of good relations with union We do not hire children or young workers below 18 years old and no claims of child labour were reported in 2013. We have gained external quality audits which encompasses our commitment to labour,quality and staff development ; o ISO 9001 ( quality) o AEO (Authorized Economic Operator)
22 EPL COP 2014 Actions to be implemented in the year 2014-2015 to all employees. Press. senior management.
EPL COP 2014 25 Environment Principle 7: Businesses should support a precautionary approach to environment challenges. Principle 8: Businesses should undertake initiative to promote greater environmental responsibility. Principle 9: Businesses should encourage the development and discusson of environmentally friendly technology.
26 EPL COP 2014 Assessment, Policy and Goals EPL is committed to understanding and addressing environmental impacts resulting from our operations and to fostering environmental responsibility among our stakeholders. We exercise uttermost vigilance in protecting the environment and seek ways to minimize our impact on the environment. We will always meet and possible exceed regulatory requirements in our environment performances. EPL is committed to promoting environmental responsibility and utilizing environmentally friendly process when possible. EPL recognizes the importance of natural resources have on economic growth and sustainable development. We commit to continuous improvement of our environmental performance and contribute to projects that support positive environmental programmes. EPL has implemented a systematic approach to health, safety, environment and quality that demonstrates a systematic approach to risk management throughout the EPL activities. Our policy states that English Press is committed to conducting its business operation in a manner that protects the environment health and safety of its employees, customers, suppliers, contractors and members of the general public.
EPL COP 2014 27 Implementation EPL maintains continuous monitoring and control of our environmental performance. We strive to continuously improve our environmental performance, through initiatives and best practices. Development of best practices in our business by: o Waste separation o Recycling waste paper and sourcing paper from renewable sources o Recycling of our plates o Conserving energy o Recycling of plastics o Recycling paper reel cores o Constantly searching for new ways to limit environmental impact. o Hazardous waste is segregated and labeled in the waste storage containers (oily rags) Communication of the EHS policy through awareness sessions, posters and newsletters. Periodic workplace inspections by our EHS committee. Development and implementation of procedures for waste management.
28 EPL COP 2014 We treat the water that comes from our factory with the dilution the water discharged doesn t harm the environment. We conducted our annual noise surveys to ensure that noise emitted doesn t exceed exposure levels. In our business activity we work for constant reduction of any emission and energy consumption and avoid anyrelease of potentially harmful substance to our environment. We monitor, collate and disseminate information relating to our environmental initiatives. Promoting sustainable development through ongoing initiatives to reduce waste, increase recycling and reduce energy consumption.
EPL COP 2014 29 Measurement of Outcomes EPL has not experienced any reportable incidents during the past year and has not been subject to any statutory notice or persecution. compared to 2012. Noise level survey results indicated that he noise levels are generally within occupational exposure limits. The environmental audit conclusion by the external independent auditor stated that the environmental performance had not deteriorated for 2013 as water analysis, noise and air quality surveys.
30 EPL COP 2014 We have actively encouraged environmental best practices throughout our operations. We recycled 100% of our waste paper from our operations through our contracted paper waste collector. All our waste collectors are approved by NEMA and provide us with waste tracking documents. All solid waste that is generated is segregated at the source into different strems : paper wastes put in paper waste cages, oily rags containers. Actions to be implemented in the year 2014-2015 opportunities consumption energy resources
EPL COP 2014 33 Anti-Corruption Principle 10: Businesses should work against corruption in all its forms, including extortion and bribery.
34 EPL COP 2014 Assessment, Policy and Goals EPL has an anti-corruption policy stating that corruption or bribery is not acceptable in any form or under any circumstances. Hence EPL is committed to ethical and responsible business practices. We are totally committed to compliance with international and local anti-bribery corruption standards, laws and legislation. this is a vital way to ensure good governance. All EPL employees of interest and report any suspicious activity. We have put in place clear guidelines and procedures that all employees are required to follow in regards to anticorruption.
EPL COP 2014 35 Implementation EPL complies with all legislation related to ethics, corporate governance and anti-corruption. As member of various trade and industry bodies, we work with peers, partners and independent organizations to create Our code of conduct is made available to all employees, to foster an ethical culture based on our core values. We do not and will never do business with any organization that is corrupt in its dealings including extortion. Strict rules are in place concerning processing of invoices and making payment where different staff are responsible. This is to ensure transparency and to rule out any kind of misconduct. Compliance with relevant legislation and regulations is monitored by both internal and external auditors.
36 EPL COP 2014 To make sure that corruption practices are not developed, EPL encourages employees to report any suspicious activities and we have reporting channel
EPL COP 2014 37 Measurement of Outcomes EPL has not been involved in any legal proceeding, ruling or other events related to corruption or bribery in the year 2013 sure transparency and accuracy of accounting practices Actions to be implemented in the year 2014-2015 Training on healthy business practices Updating the code of conduct Compliance champions
38 EPL COP 2014 Overall Outlook
EPL COP 2014 39 English Press will continue to develop the initiatives it has launched and to introduce new measures in the coming reporting period. We care about the impact we make on the environment and this concern is aligned to the strategic objectives. This report shows our commitment to communicate our actions with credibility and authenticity, internally and externally, with hope that the reward will be a better world for today and a greater hope for tomorrow.
Let us know what you think As a valued stakeholder and report reader, your thoughts and concerns are important to us. We are interested in knowing what you think about our Communication on Progress and our performance overall as a responsible business. If you would like to send us any feedback on these issues, please write to us at qmr@englishpress.com.